Work

On the effect of substrate thermal conductivity and nano-region on subcooled nucleate boiling in zero-gravity conditions

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Prediction of heat transfer in configurations of nucleate boiling is a topic that still require new studies for a better understanding of the overall process, which involves multiscale interactions between different physical phenomena. In particular, for space applications, that imply microgravity conditions, experimental data are limited, and numerical simulations offer an efficient alternative to investigate nucleate boiling in such conditions. In the present work, the impact of the nano-region heat flux at the contact line on the equivalent bubble radius is thoroughly studied by means of numerical simulations. A parametric study is carried out by varying several physical variables. From these numerical data, the strong impact of the nano-region heat flux on the overall bubble growth is highlighted, as well as the strong coupling between the nano-region and the thermal conductivity ratio between the liquid and the solid substrate. Finally, a correlation on the bubble size at equilibrium state is drawn, and the heat transfer coefficient is characterized. This enables to show the heat transfer enhancement related to the nano-region.

Source: International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2025.127594

Authors: Loric Torres, Sébastien Tanguy, Catherine Colin, Annafederica Urbano